I'm an advertising photographer/videographer based in Los Angeles, California. My mission is to create striking advertising photography, corporate photography and editorial photography of people for major advertising agencies, fortune 500 corporations and major magazines. I shoot photography and video assignments throughout California including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego as well as the rest of the world. As a photo educator I am happy to share my unique vision and methods. I'm currently teaching classes at College of the Canyons in video production for professional photographers and photography students. I give workshops, seminars and lectures on short form video production at colleges, organizations and conferences around the world.
The prize for the “Best Dramatic Short” sponsored by indiSystem is the Vortex DSLR Dolly.
indiSYSTEM Vortex dolly
Their slogan isn’t a fancy one made by a focus group, or a bunch of ad men, it is the philosphy behind indiSYSTEM.
indiSYSTEM is capable of being your number one source for follow focus, matte box, DSLR rigs, camera slider, and other custom camera accessories meant to make your photography life easier and more efficient.
The Vortex dolly is a completely new way of moving the camera for spectacular new shots. Its’ two arms allow movements that up until now have not been possible with any other dolly. You can move in/out, around corners, in circles just about anyway you can imagine. Think combination steadicam, slider, and skater dolly, all quickly set up on a set of tripod legs or the available indiBASE! It’s hard to describe but a dream to use.
As an advertising and editorial photographer and videographer in Los Angeles that often shoots on location I’m always on the look out for equipment that both adds production value and is lightweight. Very few pieces of equipment add the production value that Dollies do. Moving the camera smoothly even a short distance will enhance your shots tremendously.
For years I asked around at different conventions and expos if anyone had a rail system two to three feet long that I could make into a short dolly especially that I could mount on a tripod. Everyone thought it was an interesting idea but no one that anything useable then all of a sudden, they were everywhere. There some made of skateboard,wheels while other run on rails or rods.
I particularly like the ones from Indisystems. Tim Ovel of Indisystems first developed the IndiSLIDERmini and IndiSLIDERpro rail system. The mini is a small and inexpensive slider that you could fit into stand bag and set up quickly. It takes some practice but you can get decent results with lightweight cameras especially at the amazing price of only $99. The Pro is a heavier weight rail that easily mounts a fluid head with heavier cameras. Both can be mounted on tripods or optional legs. I like mounting either on a sticks like the Manfrotto MPRO 536 with a bowl and half ball for leveling.
Now to the sneak peak. I recently got a new lighter weight full size IndiSLIDERpro. Rather than a solid metal base the rails are held in place with crossbars and reinforced with a center strip. This makes the system very light weight but rigid while still having widely spaced rails for stability. The short video move below was shot recently in Death Valley at Bad Water with IndiSLIDERpro lightweight and a 7D with Zeiss 28mm Distagon ZE lens. Bad Water is the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America.
See the views below with the slider with a Manfrotto 503HDV fluid head on the head plate. For more information on the full line of IndiSLIDERs go to http://www.indisystem.com.
Secrets of video for photographers Friday seminar in New Jersey is more timely than ever for you if you want to have the skills most in demand today. Saturday workshop info below.
Learn how to make videos that people want to watch. Whether you’re an amateur or professional, learn the techniques that every photographer shooting video should know even if you never take your camera off automatic. Translate your photographic knowledge in to cinematic genius. What equipment do you need and when do you need it. Come and get inspired as well as educated.
The Friday evening seminar will include:
– Visual storytelling
– Basics of camera, sound and lighting techniques
– The latest in video equipment and software for video suitable for photographers getting into video.
– How photographers can apply their present skills to video
– How professional photographers can create new revenue streams
Secrets of video for photographers workshop in Atlanta on Saturday gives you a quick and thorough education in the tools and techniques every photographer should have when doing video.
Whether you are a beginning, advanced or professional photographer, you can advance your visual storytelling with video in exciting new ways. Don’t miss this opportunity to hit the ground running in your adventure into video.
Come join Lee White, professional photographer/videographer and college instructor as he guides you through the tools and techniques needed to help you make video without pulling your hair out. Avoid the common mistakes that ruin most novice videography. Learn what camera settings on your HDSLR for video mean and how best to set your camera for different situations. Find out how to do good audio recordings. See what video gear can help you make better videos. Find out what is involved with editing your video, adding music and getting it out for others to enjoy.
The Saturday workshop will include:
– Hands-on experience with camera, lighting and sound equipment
– A chance to direct and shoot talent and a table-top situation
– The importance of workflow including recording formats and camera settings
– How to edit video and output
– How photographers can market their new skill-set
Videos by photographers are more important than ever in today’s environment. Discover what today’s Art Directors, Editors and Art Buyers are saying about video by photographers. Become informed about the ways you can use video to promote yourself and where you can place your videos to be seen. Hear what advertising and editorial photographers already shooting video are saying. Find out if short form or long form is right for you and your clients and you can use your present still photography in video.
Come join Lee White, professional photographer/videographer and college instructor as he guides you through the tools and techniques needed to help you make video without pulling your hair out. How to handle the “creative call†and put together a “treatmentâ€. Avoid the common mistakes that ruin most novice videography. Learn what camera settings on your HDSLR for video mean and how best to set your camera for different situations. Find out how to do good audio recordings. See what video gear can help you make better videos. Find out what is involved with editing your video, adding music and getting it out.
Whether you are a beginning, advanced or professional photographer, you can advance your visual storytelling with video in exciting new ways. You can turn your pictures into moving pictures. Don’t miss this opportunity to hit the ground running in your adventure into video. Smartsound will be providing free royalty free music and soundtrack software for every attendee.
Friday night DOOR PRIZE: G-Technology G-Drive mini 7200rpm harddrive – perfect for editing video.
Lecture When: Friday, June 10, 2011 Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm, doors open at 6:30pm Where:Newspace Center for Photography
1632 S.E. 10th Avenue, Portland, OR 97214
Workshop When: Saturday, June 11, 2011 Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm Where: Andy Batt’s Studio
2021 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
For more info and to register go to: http://www.prophotosupply.com/p-events.htm
Hosted by Pro Photo Supply and ASMP  Sponsored by Chimera, Manfrotto, Panasonic, Apple, Zeiss, Beachtek, Smartsound, Sennheiser, Hoodman, Indisystems, Manhattan LCD, G-technology, AJA, Red Giant Software, Anton/Bauer, Logicboard, K-Tek and Casio.
The Manfrotto 536 MPro is the tripod (sticks) I use along with the 504HD fluid head when I want a solid base. I’m reminded all the time the lighter the camera, the heavier and sturdier the base needs to be. Driving to the Salton Sea for a photo trip, I stopped to shoot in the very windy San Gorgonio Wind Farm Pass. This is where there are wind farms with the large propeller-driven turbines and for good reason. When I stopped to shoot the clouds passing the mountain top you see in the clip below, I was almost knocked off my feet by the windy gusts.
Click to watch - Manfrotto 536 MPRO for steady telephoto shot on windy day
There would have been no way a light tripod with the very lightweight Panasonic HMC-40 would have ever been stable. Yes, I could sand bag a lighter tripod but dragging along sand bags to weigh down a light tripod seems counter productive. Why not start out with a sturdy tripod and eliminate the hassle of sand bags. In video, you’ll often be applying forces on the tripod as you pivot the fluid head that you do not encounter in still photography. To pivot the fluid head successfully, you will want a fluid head that you can adjust the drag to just the right amount so you can more easily smoothly pivot the camera. The New Manfrotto 504HD head has tension adjustments for both pan and tilt plus an adjustable counter balance to deal with different weight cameras.
A great thing about matching the 504HD head with the 536 MPRO tripod is the heights that they can be set at. The 536 MPRO can go from just inches off the ground to 80 inches which means I can get the angle no matter what. Plus you have either a 75 or 100mm bowl for the head to set into. In the picture below, I’m using the 536 MPRO at the wide leg setting, to support the indiSLIDERpro, a professional duty slider with camera using a Zeiss 28mm/f2 DLSR lens and Sennheiser MKE 400 microphone to capture a CU along the shore of the Salton Sea.
Manfrotto 536 MPRO supports indiSLIDERpro, Zeiss lens and Sennheiser MKE400 at Salton Sea
A quick word about fluid heads. The Manfrotto 501, 503HDV and 504HD are great fluid heads that have all the adjustments you need for silky smooth moves. There are very few times that you will not want the option of at least pivoting the camera and a fluid head is the answer. Being able to finely tune the tension of the head helps you adjust for the weight of the camera gear and speed of the pivot.
Secrets of video for photographers is coming to Portland for two events that takes away the mystery of video production and replaces it with solid information. More than just tech talk, Lee White also goes over ideas on how to increase revenue streams and creative strategies.
The evening seminar is two hours jammed packed with need to know info!
When: Friday, April 8, 2011 Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm, doors open at 6:30pm Where:Newspace Center for Photography
1632 S.E. 10th Avenue, Portland, OR 97214 Cost: General $10, ASMP members & Students $5 Register Now!
All attendees will receive free SmartSound music and SonicFire music editing software .
Taking the step from stills to video can be a challenging one. You will have to learn how to deal with motion and sound, tell the visual story in a different way. There is new equipment to master. Post-production can be much more involved and time consuming. The explosion of interest in video both by clients and photographers in the last couple of years has opened new creative avenues for photographers. More photographers are being asked to create video content so are facing new challenges in estimating, production and post-production. Come and learn about the latest tools and techniques needed to create video. Learn how to better estimate the time and costs involved and how you need to approach video differently than stills while using your photographic talents to your advantage.
Lee White’s evening lecture presentation and videos will go over the steps photographers need to know in creating video without tearing their hair out.
During the evening Lee will discuss:
• How photographers can get new clients
• The latest in tools that make video production easier
• The all-important planning stage and what new concepts and costs photographers need to think about
• The importance of post-production
• HDSLR vs Camcorder in video production
• How photographers can apply their present skills to video
The latest equipment and software by sponsors Apple, Manfrotto, Panasonic, Zeiss, Sennheiser, Beachtek. Red Giant Software, SmartSound, G-Technology, Indisystems, Chimera and Casio will be at the event for photographers to see.
This fast paced all-day workshop is not to be missed.
When: Saturday, April 9, 2011 Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm Where: Andy Batt’s Studio
2021 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97214 Cost: General $150; ASMP members & Students $100 – Lunch included Register Now!
All attendees will receive free SmartSound music and SonicFire music editing software .
Photography and video are coming together. In the last couple of years, the idea of photographers producing video has exploded and photographers now must gear up and learn the language of video. As advertisers and magazines turn to video on the web, cable and mobile devices to get out their message, there are more opportunities than ever for you to do video in tandem with your photography to capture new clients and sell video services to existing clients.
Producing video creates fundamental changes to your workflow. It requires new tools and techniques to take the step from photography to video. You need to learn what the new technologies mean to you from a photographer’s point of view. This is why Lee White, a professional photographer and educator, has created an intensive all day workshop to help guide you into video. This hands-on workshop will go in depth about each step of video production so you can start producing your own video and avoid some of the most dangerous pitfalls.
In the morning, Lee White will go over the fundamentals of video production and direct a plan for a shoot for the afternoon. In the afternoon, we will shoot, and edit and color grade the video.
The Saturday subjects will include:
• The importance of workflow including recording formats and how to use them to your advantage
• Estimating and planning combined photography and video shoots with forms for estimating video production
• Understanding the lighting, filming and sound techniques needed for video
• Hands on experience with camera, lighting and sound equipment
• Editing and color grading demonstrations
• Common issues in directing talent and a chance to direct yourself
• The importance of post-production
The latest equipment and software by sponsors Apple, Manfrotto, Panasonic, Zeiss, Sennheiser, Beachtek. Red Giant Software, SmartSound, G-Technology, Indisystems and Casio will be at the event for photographers to see in action.
The new workshops are here! All of you that were nice enough to pester me about doing more can relax. Hopefully, there will be one near you. Once again, I’m kicking off the series in LA. This year they are on February 24 and 26 at the famous Fairbanks Studio with a flurry of events to follow.
Taking the step from stills to video can be a challenging one. You will have to learn how to deal with motion and sound, tell the visual story in a different way. There is new equipment to master. Post-production can be much more involved and time consuming. The explosion of interest in video both by clients and photographers in the last couple of years has opened new creative avenues for photographers. More photographers are being asked to create video content so are facing new challenges in estimating, production and post-production. Come and learn about the latest tools and techniques needed to create video. Learn how to better estimate the time and costs involved and how you need to approach video differently than stills while using your photographic talents to your advantage.
Note: Workshop info and date below evening event
Thursday Evening Event – Thursday Feb 24
At the famous Warner Studio now called “The Lot” in West Hollywood
7-9 pm doors open at 6:30 pm parking at 1006 North Poinsettia Place, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Hosted by Hollywood-DI
Lee White’s evening presentation including videos will go over the steps photographers need to know in creating video without tearing their hair out.
During the evening Lee will discuss:
– How photographers can get get new clients
– The latest in tools that make video production easier
– The all important planning stage and what new concepts and costs photographers need to think about
– The importance of post production
– HDSLR vs Camcorder in video production
– How photographers can apply their present skills to video
The latest equipment and software by Apple, Manfrotto, Panasonic, Zeiss, Redrock Micro, SmartSound, Sennheiser, Beachtek and Chimera among others will be at the event for photographers to see.
Registering for Thursday night February 24 event
Parking is free, please go to www.tiny.cc/LAevening for directions.
How much: APA/ASMP MEMBERS are $15 all others $25 *Please put membership number in special instructions to seller and a discount refund will be given at the workshop as the APA/ASMP member enters.
Questions call 818.399.3540 or email lee@leewhitephotography.com
Saturday Workshop Saturday February 26
9 am- 5 pm at the famous Warner Studio now called “The Lot” in West Hollywood – Limited to 20 participants
Hosted by Hollywood-DI
Photography and video are coming together. In the last couple of years, the idea of photographers producing video has exploded and photographers now must gear up and learn the language of video. As advertisers and magazines turn to video on the web, cable and mobile devices to get out their message, there are more opportunities than ever for you to do video in tandem with your photography to capture new clients and sell video services to existing clients.
Producing video creates fundamental changes to your workflow. It requires new tools and techniques to take the step from photography to video. You need to learn what the new technologies mean to you from a photographer’s point of view. This is why Lee White, a professional photographer and educator, has created an intensive all day workshop to help guide you into video. This hands on workshop will go in depth about each step of video production so you can start producing your own video and avoid some of the most dangerous pitfalls.
In the morning, Lee White will go over the fundamentals of video production and direct a plan for a shoot for the afternoon. In the afternoon, we will shoot, and work with a professional editor from Hollywood-DI to edit and color grade the video.
The Saturday subjects will include:
- The importance of workflow including recording formats and how to use them to your advantage
– Estimating and planning combined photography and video shoots with forms for estimating video production
– Understanding the lighting, filming and sound techniques needed for video
– Hands on experience with camera, lighting and sound equipment
– Editing and color grading demonstrations
– Common issues in directing talent and a chance to direct yourself
– The importance of post production
The latest equipment and software by Apple, Manfrotto, Panasonic, Zeiss, Redrock Micro, Sennheiser, SmartSound, Beachtek and Chimera will be demonstrated.
Registering for Saturday February 26 Workshop
You must register by Friday, February 25 because this is taking place on a movie lot and security needs your name to let you in!
Parking is free in the lot but we must have you registered so security can let you in. You will get directions upon registration.
How much: $149.95 APA/ASMP members will receive a 10% discount refund* on confirmation of valid membership.
Questions call 818.399.3540 or email lee@leewhitephoto.com
*Please put name and membership number in special instructions to seller and the discount refund will be given at the workshop as the APA/ASMP member enters.
I’m going to Unique Photo Superstore to do my Secrets of Video Production for Photographers. Friday night is the evening presentation where I do an overview of video production from concept to final output. Saturday’s workshop is where the funny really begins. Saturday morning is getting everyone up to speed then the afternoon is filled with shooting and editing. For more information you can go to:
Thursday August 12, Brooks Institute of Photography hosted my Secrets of Video Production on what turned out to be one of the first truly sunny summer days this season. Both students and a large number of faculty attended my presentation held in one of the school’s spacious studios. The theme was tabletop so I was able to spotlight the Indisliderpro with the Manfrotto 501 fluid head supported on Manfrotto 536 MPRO legs. Everyone was impressed with how sturdy and versatile the IndisliderPro was both when mounted on the Manfrotto legs and when placed right on the tabletop. Everyone appreciated the value of the False Color and Peaking filters of the Marshall’s monitor and enjoyed being able to see what was going on as some of the students tried out the techniques I presented. RedRockMicro’s support system and microFollowFocus was instrumental in demonstrating techniques like rack focus. The cucaloris effect of the Chimera Window Patterns added life to both the background of some setups and dappled light directly on one setup illustrating a push-in technique with the Indisliderpro. The LEDs from Litepanels were used as both main sources and kickers along with both the Lastolite Triflip and Skylite light modifiers.
Indislider Pro
Everything was shot to a RAW 16GB CF card and down loaded through the high speed RAW Firewire card reader on to LaCie harddrives supporting editing in Final Cut Pro on MacBook Pro. Along with demonstrating a number of tabletop shooting situations, I had enough time to show a very basic NLE workflow. Student received a Sonicfire Pro disk and suggestions on the use of royalty-free music in their future video and still to video productions.
The students asked lots of questions and quite a few got a chance to try the equipment for themselves in actual shooting situations.
Below is the tabletop wine video we did in the workshop.
Below is the tabletop push-in we did in the workshop.
Events
"Secrets of Video Production for Photographers"
College of the Canyons - Photo 177 Video Capture for Still Photographers. A innovative class where students learn to shoot still images and video to complete projects. This class gives the still photographer the skillset to add narrative motion to projects.
College of the Canyons - Photo 280 Large Format Photography and the Zone System. A unique large format class where students will shoot 4x5 film using view cameras and the zone system. They will then develop and enlarge the film for assigned projects.
Beijing, China One-day still photography and video seminar June
Mt. SAC, Walnut, CA Two-day workshop
First day lecture and demo second day shooting and editing
New Jersey, Unique Photo, Video seminar and workshop
Sept 16 and 18 see blog and http://university.uniquephoto.com/e/
Continuing - Photo29 "Video Production for Still Photographers" at Santa Monica College. A class in video production for professional photographers and photography students. http://www.smc.edu/schedules/2011/fall/default.htm
Atlanta, Showcase Photo & Video, Video seminar and Workshop
August 26 and 27 see blog and
http://www.theshowcaseschool.com/
Portland, Pro Photo Supply, Video seminar and workshop
June 10 and 11 see blog and
http://www.prophotosupply.com/p-events.htm
Sennheiser sound capture event at Santa Monica College May 3 see blog http://www.leewhitephotography.com/blog/?p=825
Panel discussion for Brooks, Institute of Photography.
Hoodman USA